[recoznet2] [Fwd: Qld. Media statement - Brisbane Land Handed Back to Traditional Owners]
-- Graham Young Phone: 61 7 3252 1470 W 61 7 3252 1471 F 0411 104 801 M Home Page: http://www.onlineopinion.com.au Environment and Heritage/Natural Resources, HON. RODNEY WELFORD 29/7/99 Brisbane Land Handed Back to Traditional Owners One of the most significant Aboriginal meeting places in Australia is being returned to its traditional owners following an historic decision by the Beattie Government. Minister for Environment and Heritage and Natural Resources, Rod Welford, today handed a special Deed of Grant in Trust to the Brisbane City Council for a portion of land in Musgrave Park in South Brisbane. "This clears the way for this land to be set aside for Aboriginal cultural purposes and brings to an end a 13-year struggle by the Brisbane Aboriginal community," Mr Welford said during a ceremony at Musgrave Park. "The Brisbane City Council has agreed to provide a special lease to enable the Murri community to establish the 'Brisbane Aboriginal Cultural Centre'. "Facilitating the traditional owners' access to this land was a long-standing ALP commitment and a high priority for the Beattie Government. We foreshadowed this handover 12 months ago. "Musgrave Park has special significance that dates back well before European settlement not only for the local Aboriginal community, but for Aboriginal people throughout Queensland and the rest of Australia. "Brisbane will benefit from a city-based Aboriginal Cultural Centre and we fully support and congratulate the Musgrave Park Committee on their initiative." The section of Musgrave Park reserved for the proposed Cultural Centre is in Cordelia Street, South Brisbane. It includes tennis courts which were once used by Brisbane State High. Mr Welford praised the continued hard work and commitment of the Member for South Brisbane and Minister for Families, Youth and Community Care, Anna Bligh, and Brisbane City Councillor, Tim Quinn to facilitate the handover. The current proposal is supported unanimously by Brisbane City Council, and welcomed by the operators of Southbank, who see benefit in Aboriginal cultural activities occurring in the near vicinity. Further information: Greg Milne on 38963688 or 0417 791 336 29 July, 1999
[recoznet2] Herron's Speech
Forwarded by Les Malezer, Deputy Chairperson National Indigenous Working Group on Native Title NIWG from Geneva HERRON ADDRESSES THE UNITED NATIONS Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Minister John Herron today told the United Nations there had been a positive and fundamental shift in Australia about the thinking of solutions to some of the most intractable problems confronting indigenous communities. Addressing the 17th Session of the Working Group of Indigenous Populations (WGIP) in Geneva, Senator Herron said that until quite recently it had been impossible to have an honest discussion about issues such as individual responsibility and the right to welfare. "There was what I call 'the great silence' at the core of much discussion of indigenous policy issues. We talked about the problems caused by history and society but few dared speak of some of the fundamental problems nurtured within many indigenous communities themselves," Senator Herron said. He said the Australian Government over the past three years had sought to change the direction of indigenous affairs away from welfare dependency but that did not mean any lack of compassion. "It also means policies that facilitate and promote genuine economic independence for indigenous people, policies that go beyond the catchcry of land and mining royalties and encompass both individual-skills development and productive business enterprises," Senator Herron said. "There have been ... assertions that the solution ultimately lies in the direction of forms of Aboriginal sovereign self-government as contemplated by the 'self-determination' provisions of the Draft Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Draft Declaration itself is at risk of becoming a distraction from the real tasks and priorities before us. The Australian Government rejects 'the politics of symbolism'. We believe in practical measures leading to practical results that improve the lives of individual people where they live." "It is the skills of people in which we must invest for the long-term future and that is what we are doing in Australia," he said. Senator Herron said that through very active government support the number of indigenous Australians attending university had increased from 1600 in 1990 to almost 8000. Four years ago there had been just 800 indigenous Australians learning trades through apprenticeships - today there were 4,800. There was unambiguous empirical evidence Australia's policies were working and that the socio-economic status of indigenous Australians was improving. A Copy of the Minister's Speech is attached and it can be viewed at www.atsia.gov.au 29 July 1999 Statement on behalf of the Australian Government 17th Session United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations 29 July, 1999 Madame Chairman, Distinguished members of the working group, Representatives of member states and of the specialised agencies of the United Nations system, Indigenous peoples and their representatives and all attending this 17th session of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations. This is the second time that I have had the privilege of taking the floor in this forum. I also attended the session in 1997. May I begin by offering my warm congratulations to you, Madame Chairman, on your re-election to the chairmanship of this important working group. You first presided over this working group in 1984. Since then its meetings have grown in both size and status and the working group has completed many important tasks. I note, for example, that this week you have presented your second progress report on indigenous people's relationship to land and I look forward to reading it with interest. Much of the success of the WGIP can truly be said to be a direct result of your vision, Madame Chairman, to create a unique forum in the United Nations system where indigenous peoples may speak freely of their concerns and aspirations. Your words of constructive dialogue, freedom, human rights and equality encourage all of us. Australia, through its government and NGO representatives, has a long and active record of involvement in the Working Group on Indigenous Populations and related UN fora. It is an indication of the importance we place on indigenous rights, and, on a practical level, the importance we place on addressing indigenous disadvantage. We come here this year for a number of reasons, partly to learn from the experiences of others and partly to share the Australian experience with other participants. We believe that in recent times in Australia there has been a positive and fundamental shift in thinking about solutions to some of the most intractable problems confronting indigenous communities. I want to spend some of my time today speaking about that change in approach, but first of all I want to address a few remarks to the main theme of this week's meeting - land and land usage. Land and
[recoznet2] Minister Announces Land Court Appointments
Forwarded from Christine Howes: From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Qld. Media statement - Minister Announces Land Court Appointments Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 9:51 AM Environment and Heritage/Natural Resources, HON. RODNEY WELFORD 30/7/99 Minister Announces Land Court Appointments Minister for Environment and Heritage and Natural Resources, Rod Welford, today announced appointments to the Land Court and the Land Tribunal. Mr Welford said James John Trickett had been re-appointed President of the Land Court for a further three years from 27 July 1999. "The Land Court deals with appeals in important land related matters, mainly appeals under the Valuation of Land Act 1944 and claims for compensation under the Acquisition of Land Act 1967," he said. "Mr Trickett has been President of the Land Court since July 1996 and is well qualified for the position. He is a Barrister and holds the degrees of Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts and is a Fellow of the Australian Property Institute." Mr Welford also announced that Stephanie Ann Forgie and Carmel Anne Catherine MacDonald had been appointed deputy chairpersons and members of the Land Tribunal under the Aboriginal Land Act 1991. The Land Tribunal hears and determines land claims made by Aboriginal people to areas designated as claimable land. "Both Miss Forgie and Ms MacDonald have also been appointed members of the Land Court," Mr Welford said. "The appointments are until 31 May 2003 and are part-time positions." Miss Forgie holds a Bachelor of Laws and is currently Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Ms MacDonald holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws, and a Masters of Law (London). She is currently Principal Lecturer in Law, Faculty of Law, Queensland University of Technology. The appointment of two extra deputy chairpersons will provide the Tribunal with greater availability of persons to preside over hearings that may be set down. Further information: Greg Milne on 38963688 or 0417 791 336 30 July, 1999 --- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words:unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
[recoznet2] Is this where we're going??
ABC NEWS Philosophers suggest slavery as alternative to welfare The World Today - Thursday, July29, 199912:31 COMPERE: With few new ideas from either the Government or the Opposition on actually getting the long term unemployed back into jobs, two South Australian philosophers have come up with an idea which may leave a lot of Australians breathless. Associate Professor Ian Hunt, and Senior Lecturer, Rodney Allen, from the Centre of Applied Philosophy at Flinders University in South Australia, suggest that voluntary slavery would give unemployed people a purpose in life, and save taxpayers money. Peter Jeppesen reports. PETER JEPPESEN: The key difference between the slavery of the plantation owners of the past and the modern slavery of the South Australian philosophers is that modern day slavery would be voluntary. You would agree to become a slave in return for lifelong board and lodgings. Now once you'd made that contract then you would lose your rights to freedom. But according to philosopher Rodney Allen, it might not all be bad. The obvious question though who'd want to give up today's freedoms to become a slave? RODNEY ALLEN: It's been estimated that about 30 per cent of our work force are facing a lifetime of fairly low paid casual work, and they are going to be beset by economic insecurity. Now people who are anxious about insecurity or impoverished may find it to their advantage to contract themselves into life long slavery because they would have the security, the security of being maintained for the rest of their life and they could even be much better off than they would be in an impoverished welfare dependent situation because they could be sharing in the recreations and the lifestyles of their rich and powerful owners. I mean in the past slavery got a very bad press and bad name because it's been associated with the sort of brutal plantation slavery of the Caribbean and of America in the 19th century, but what we're envisaging is not just voluntary slavery, but a situation where the slaves would have rights. They'd have rights to lifelong maintenance, to sustenance, to food, lodging and medical care, and these rights could be guaranteed by a sort of industry regulator. PETER JEPPESEN: Would there be slave trade unions to protect their rights? RODNEY ALLEN: Well no. Slaves would have no right to self-determination once they made the initial contract, but there would be an industry regulator, a government body, a slavery commission, which would oversee the way in which this was done and make sure that the slaves rights - and the slave has obligations - were met, and if that was considered inadequate, I mean, we, the rest of the people in society could set up - well in the same way as we now have a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and a Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, we could have a royal society for the prevention of cruelty to slaves which would monitor the situation and make sure that slave owners, or prompt the government to make sure that slave owners were meeting their obligations. PETER JEPPESEN: So a modern day slave's life need not necessarily be a life of misery and drudgery? RODNEY ALLEN: No, no. As I say people who are now facing a life of welfare dependency and impoverishment could well be much much better off under this sort of arrangement. PETER JEPPESEN: What would be the value of this though? I mean seriously what would we actually get from it? RODNEY ALLEN: We're facing a sort of three pronged problem. There is first of all long-term unemployment, the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer, and the problems of economic insecurity, the fact that the present policy wants to emphasise the competitive market economy and labour market deregulation, but specially a competitive market economy which will ensure that we for the foreseeable future that our society will, our economy will generate both winners and also long term losers who need to be looked after and at the same time it's part of the present policy to have a low tax regime and to cut back on social welfare. So put all those things together the introduction or the institution of voluntary slavery could cut down the drain on governmental funds and so lead to lower taxes because there wouldn't be such a drain on the welfare system and at the same time the people who are now facing long term unemployment and a life of idleness could get back into useful work. COMPERE: Rodney Allen works for his living as a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Applied Philosophy at Flinders University. Peter Jeppesen reporting for us. --- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the
[recoznet2] Ninemsn poll result
If this is a correct result and not fiddled with by ON supporters, then we have a lot of work to to! http://news.ninemsn.com.au/06_feature/story_240.asp 19 July: Should PM Howard include reconciliation in the preamble to the Constitution? Yes: (1208) No: (1830) Trudy --- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words:unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/
